History Repeats Itself - Class of `09 Jobs on Pace with Prior Years

Experience, Inc.`s 7th Annual Survey Finds Gen Y Attitudes to be Flexible and
Realistic
BOSTON--(Business Wire)--
This spring, 17% of the Class of 2009 confirmed they had received job offers,
according to the 2009 Annual Jobs Survey from Experience, Inc.
(http://www.experience.com), the nation`s leading provider of career services
for college students and alumni. Though down slightly, this number does not
markedly differ from previous results: in 2004, 18% of college seniors reported
having an offer in-hand; in 2005, that number was 25%; in 2006, 20% and in 2007,
it was 22%. Last year`s graduates were the only ones to report a job acceptance
rate greater than 30% prior to graduation. This historical context offers a new
outlook on the job market for college grads.

"The landscape for college hires is not as bad as people fear," offers Jenny
Floren, founder and CEO of Experience Inc., national speaker and author of a
book about the impact of Gen Y on the workforce (The Gen Y Way, New Year
Publishing: Summer 2009). "While the unemployment rate today is higher than in
previous years, many organizations understand that entry-level positions are a
critical part of a long-term talent management strategy which cannot be pushed
off."

The path to employment can be found by analyzing the characteristics of those
members of the Class of 2009 who have had success with early job offers:

* 87% held internships, 80% of which were held in their preferred field of
interest
* 55% cited internships as the most effective way to find a job, followed by
in-person networking (47%) and university career centers (45%)
* Top fields pursued by this group were accounting, finance/banking and
engineering
* 42% of the group spent 1-3 hours per week searching for jobs
* 75% said it took them less than 3 months to land a position

Flexibility also appeared to be a critical factor in finding a job, and Gen Y
has modified its expectations accordingly:

* 24% of graduates reported a willingness to relocate to find a job
* 31% expected their salaries to be in the $26,000-$35,000 range, down from the
$36,000-$45,000 starting salary reported in the prior year
* 60% of grads thought it would take fewer than 3 months to secure employment

"Many university career services offices are extending their services and
creating new programs to help college grads even after they leave campus," added
Floren. "Graduates should check with their career centers to see if resources
like eRecruiting, career fairs or networking events are available to them post
graduation."

Methodology

Experience`s 2009 Seventh Annual Job Survey ran from March 27, 2009 through
April 19, 2009. During this time, students who opted-in to receive information
from Experience.com were invited to take the survey; a total of 3,181 men and
women who expect to graduate with the Class of 2009 answered the online poll.
The margin of error is estimated at +/- 2%.

About Experience

Experience is the only university-endorsed career network bridging the gap
between college and the working world. Since 1996, we have partnered with
universities to educate, assist and inspire college graduates to launch and lead
extraordinary careers. Each year our award-winning network connects millions of
candidates from 3,800 colleges and universities with more than 100,000
employers. For more information, visit www.experience.com.

Experience, Inc.

Molly Smith, 978-499-9250 x234

experience(at)matternow.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009